The 2001 Kentucky Derby was the 127th running of the Kentucky Derby. The race took place on May 5, 2001. There was a crowd of 154,210 in attendance. The 127th Kentucky Derby was the first to be broadcast on NBC, garnering a Nielsen rating of 8.1. Monarchos position during the race Throughout the race Monarchos was never in the front of the pack. Coming around the final quarter mile Monarchos was in 13th place. The jockey of Monarchos; Jorge chavez, managed to sweep past all the horses in front. He had pushed his horse hard enough to reward them with a four and three quarters length victory over the second place horse. This surge of excitement and effort awarded Monarchos with the second fastest winning time in Kentucky Derby History of 1:59 97. Background Information on Trainer and Jockey The trainer of Monarchos John T. Ward Jr. was born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky. He had attended and graduated from the University of Kentucky before he began his journey as a trainer. Prior to the Kentucky Derby, Chavez and Ward had competed in two races in Florida. They had placed 2nd in the Wood Memorial race before placing first in the Florida Derby. Come time for the Kentucky Derby, there was a lot of criticism and excitement behind the team for Monarchos. Despite the backlash they were receiving, Chavez and his trainer Ward won their first ever Kentucky Derby. Monarchos accusations After Monarchos crossed the finish line to win the Derby, the second place jockey Velazquez claimed that he was bumped into around the final turn. This accusation was later proven false and Chavez was given the bed of roses along with the victory. During an interview with Velazquez, he had admitted that Monarchos never hit him but did get in his way. "The winner was the best horse in the race. This is the Derby and I had to take a shot. I probably wouldn't claim foul in any other race" Velazquez said. Economical Effect The Kentucky Derby does not only change the lives of the jockey but also the commonwealth of Kentucky. The 2001 Derby specifically raised over $218 Billion for the economy of Kentucky. The overall wagering of this Derby rose to a record $107,589,904. Monarchos Monarchos was a champions American Thoroughbred Stallion horse, and was born on February 9, 1998, in the United States. At the